Dear Neighbors,
I hope you’re staying warm- and safe! It’s been a whirlwind of activity at the Legislature since I’ve been sworn in to represent our community on January 8. Thank you for all the emails, calls and messages.
I’m pleased to share that I serve on the following committees: Commerce; State Government Finance Division; Government Operations; and the Transportation Finance and Policy Division. I’ve also been appointed as the Vice-Chair of Subcommittee on Local Government. In fact, I had the opportunity to chair my first committee meeting last week.
Public Hearing On ‘Hands-Free’ Bill
On January 22, the House Transportation Policy & Finance Committee held a public hearing on HF 50, the bipartisan hands-free cell phone bill. This hearing was very emotional, and brought several Minnesotans to testify in support of the legislation, many of whom lost family members in distracted driving crashes. Minnesotans deserve to be safe on our roads, crosswalks and bike lanes. I am a co-sponsor of the bill and am glad it’s moving quickly in the House and the Senate. Governor Walz has indicated he will sign the bill once it reaches his desk.
Legislation
My first bill, (HF 316) was introduced last week in the House. The legislation would distribute grant funding to Commuter Services, a Transportation Management Organization in the metro area serving Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka and Richfield. The organization works with over 1,000 employers and multi-tenant office buildings in the I-494 corridor area to deliver services and congestion solutions for their employees and commuters. HF 316 has been referred to the Transportation Policy and Finance Division and awaits a public hearing.
As we move through session, you can follow my bills and their progress here.
POSTPONED: January 29 Senate District 49 Town Hall Meeting
Due to the dangerously frigid weather, we’ve postponed the Senate District 49 Town Hall Meeting which was set to be held tomorrow.
Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest. I will keep you posted on a future town hall opportunity.
Stay in Touch
Please always feel free to reach out with any questions, comments or concerns. I would love to hear from you! I can be reached at 651-296-7803 or by email at rep.steve.elkins@house.mn. You can also follow me on Facebook here.
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Steve Elkins
State Representative